Irene Stout

Irene A. Stout, 97, of Grundy Center, Iowa, passed away peacefully on November 19, 2017, while under the care of Cedar Valley Hospice. The funeral service for Irene will be held on Saturday, November 25th at 10:30 AM at the United Methodist Church in Grundy Center with Pastor Jerry Miller officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral service at the church. The burial will follow services at the Rosehill Cemetery in Grundy Center. Please celebrate her life as she did and give back to the community. Messages of condolence may be left for the family at www.abelsfuneralhomes.com

Irene was born December 11, 1919 in Marshalltown, Iowa. Irene came to Grundy Center, Iowa in 1938. She married Donald Stout in 1940. The two were married 49 years until Don’s death in 1989. In 1994, Irene married Don’s brother Gene, who had retired after a career with General Motors. Gene died in 2005.

After Don returned from military service in World War II and the Korean War to build houses in Grundy Center, Irene became successful in the Grundy Center business community, first as a bank teller, then as an insurance agent, and later as a real estate agent. She also operated her own bookkeeping and income tax agency. Irene helped break the barrier when, in 1966, she became the second woman in Grundy County to earn a real estate license.

Irene always had a strong desire to give back to the community. She served as president of the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Grundy Center. She served as a board member for the Historical Collections Department at the Grundy County Heritage Museum in Morrison and the Grundy County Memorial Hospital Foundation in Grundy Center. Since 1946 she was an active member of the Grundy Center United Methodist Church. She served as the church treasurer and as a member of the finance committee. She was a member of the memorial committee as well as the Worship on Wednesday committee.

Irene was also active with philanthropic work. In 2006 she established a scholarship endowment with the Grundy County Community Foundation to help students achieve their educational goals. Four scholarships go to students each year. The Stout family believed in hard work, education, and giving back. In 2013 Irene was the recipient of one of the Eight Over 80 winners by the Cedar Valley Business Monthly.

Irene is survived and will be remembered by her niece, Mary Camille (Terry) Iorns and her great-niece Landon (Robert) Wrather, along with and Landon and Robert’s children Ella and Owen, all of Mesa, Arizona; a host of many extended family members. She is preceded in death by her two husbands; many siblings.